Review of Dear Evan Hansen at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

First performed in 2015, Dear Evan Hansen remains the musical of the modern teen's life, showcasing all the troubles in that generation of popularity and social media. And as this long UK tour of the West End and before that Broadway smash hits the Royal & Derngate, it offers a troubling mirror on modern society.

Before seeing this show, I had avoided all knowledge of the story Dear Evan Hansen tells, and with that came a joyful voyage of discovery as the captivating story evolved. Therefore, if you have also managed to avoid the story, skip the next paragraph and enjoy a new story to be found.

Evan Hansen is a troubled teen who struggles to fit into society and cannot find friends. As a result, his therapist has suggested that he write letters to himself, "Dear Evan Hansen." When one of these letters is found on the body of an equally troubled teen, Evan finds himself spiralling into a world of fictitious friendship, which gets increasingly out of control.

The story told in Steven Levenson's book and through Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's music and lyrics is very clever and absorbing. The audience can identify with different allegiances within the excellent cast of characters, whether it be the troubled Evan, the pressurised mother, Heidi, the sulky Zoe, or Connor, the equally troubled teen.

The story lives in the modern world, with social media behind many of the complex parts of the tale, and this was brought to the stage, never overpoweringly, cleverly, with Ravi Deepres' excellent video design. Also, Adam Penford directs lightly, emphasising character rather than movement; this is a very still production with often little character movement on the stage. The songs here are part of why this happens; many are just gentle ballads, good, but not with the ability for big stage numbers. This show is a non-showy stage musical, and some may find disappointment in it, but like Blood Brothers, this is a play at its heart that just happens to be told with songs.

The performances will not disappoint. Ryan Kopel's stunning performance as Evan, complete with all the nervous ticks of such a person, leads an excellent cast. He also translates these into musical performances using his superb vocals.

Alice Fearn is also immaculate as Ewan's mother, Heidi, primarily via her troubled solos and perhaps her best, So Big/So Small. Equally full of emotion are the parents of Connor, dealing with their impossible situation in very different ways. Richard Hurst, as Larry Murphy, is distant at times, while, as understudy as the mother, Jessica Lim's Cynthia, embodies the emotion visibly for the couple.

As Connor, Killian Thomas Lefevre is superb, emitting both the anger and high emotion his character is feeling, coupled with some brilliant comic timing during scenes portraying the fictional emails that Evan and Jared (a brilliantly funny performance from Tom Dickerson) create. Finally, from the cast, Lauren Conroy gives a captivating performance as Connor's sister, Zoe, who is confused and often distant as she deals with the many emotions life throws at her.

Dear Evan Hansen is an excellent show, but it falls short of my top mark due to a slight lack of musical variety and a somewhat simple ending that is too perfect following events. Also, although it has a solid and eventful story, it feels overlong by the end of its 140-minute running time. Despite this, though, Dear Evan Hansen comes highly recommended for its ability to tell a relevant and emotional story well.

A captivating musical play which you very much should find now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Tuesday 14th January 2025 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.

Dear Evan Hansen is on stage at Royal & Derngate until Saturday, 18th January 2025.

For further details about the Royal & Derngate and to book tickets, see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Photos: Mark Brenner

Review of Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes at Milton Keynes Theatre

Sir Matthew Bourne has rightfully become the doyen of accessible contemporary ballet, with his works spanning a wide range, from Swan Lake , Lord of the Flies , and Edward Scissorhands to The Red Shoes , now here at Milton Keynes on an extensive tour. Based broadly on the 1948 film of the same name, The Red Shoes , set across Europe, follows the story of ballerina Victoria Page, discovered by ballet impresario Boris Lermontov. He requests that a ballet based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Red Shoes be written by the composer Julian Craster, whom Page falls deeply in love with. A conflict arises, and Page must choose between love and success. The first impact on any audience of The Red Shoes is visually on the costumes and set. This is, without any question, a spectacular staging. Lez Brotherston, responsible for both costumes and set, has created a gem. The striking costumes effectively recreate the period in minute detail, placing the audience very much in t...

Review of Friends - The Musical Parody at Milton Keynes Theatre

The One Where 2026 starts in a world of confusion. And so, 2026 is upon us and for my first trip to the theatre this year, one of my most significant reviewing challenges was to occur. Touring to Milton Keynes Theatre is Friends - The Musical Parody , based, unsurprisingly, on that little American show that ran to a few audience members for ten years. However, I confess that I was not, and have never been in that audience, never having seen a single episode of the show. However, always up for a review challenge and doing my due diligence by having a Friends superfan as my plus one, I headed to Milton Keynes with anticipation. For those unfamiliar with the show, I could say I can’t help; however, a quick review of some of the information you might need (thanks, Google and my plus one). Running for ten years between 1994 and 2004 with 236 episodes (quiz question, you are welcome), the main characters consisted of Phoebe (ditzy, writer of sad songs), Monica (in possession of an unfeasibly...

Review of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

Music artist Tina Turner was a staple of the music network for a remarkable time, active as an artist for eight decades; her work is, or at the very least should be, familiar to every generation. Therefore, it was little surprise that in 2018, a stage musical of her work and life arrived upon the stage. You could say that for such an artist, it actually took longer than it should have to appear. Now, as part of its first UK & Ireland tour, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical , it arrives at Milton Keynes Theatre for a two-week run. So, the question is, is it worthy of the legendary artist? For those unfamiliar with any part of Tina Turner's life, the content of this stage musical telling her life story might be a surprise to an audience that grew up just listening to her music. It is an early commendation of the show that the show does not shy away from the themes of domestic abuse, racism and parental abandonment that Turner suffered through her life. With all that rich and startlin...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog